The present invention deals with systems and methods for recovering energy from waste heat produced in human activities which consume fuel. In particular, the invention relates to the recovery of thermal energy from underutilized waste heat sources such as combustion turbine exhaust gases.
Human fuel burning activities over the centuries have been a central feature in both the development of human civilization and its continuance. The efficiency with which a fuel can be converted into energy remains a long standing problem however, since much of the energy produced when a fuel is burned cannot be made to do useful work and is lost as waste energy, for example waste heat.
Rankine and other heat recovery cycles have been used innovatively to recover at least some of the energy present in waste heat produced by the combustion of fuel, and much progress has been achieved to date. The achievements of the past notwithstanding, further enhancements to Rankine cycle waste heat recovery systems and methods are needed.